Dispenser



' .Aug. 7, 1956 R. H. THOMAS 2,

' DISPENSER Filed Nov. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .w h l... T

INVEN TOR. RALPHIH. THOMAS BY ATTORNEY Aug. 7, 1956 Filed Nov 19, 1952 R. H. THOMAS DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MVMZM/ZM ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 DISPENSER Ralph-. Henry. ThomasrlRahway, N. J..,. assignor toeBristole Myers Company, New- York,- N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 19, 1952, Serial No; 32213377" 12laims (Clt 222r--3+94)'- The. present invention relatesto containers of the type employed in the packaging and dispensing of various liquids in vapor or droplet form and more particularly'to a novel and improved valve unit for controlling the dis.- charge from such a container.

In the dispensing of preparations ofthe character indicat'ed, the active substance is ordinarily intermixed'with a suitable propellant in. a closed. container- At room temperature, the mixture is. maintained under a suitable pressure within a container andis. adapted to be released in the form of a spray upon the operation. of a valve. Thus a desired amount of an appropriate deod'erant, antiperspijrant or other liquid; may be discharged by the propellant upon the manual operation of' a valve. Dificulties have. been encountered i'nthe operationof'devices of this. character because ofi the problem of providing an elfective seal along, the various surfaces. of the device through which the liquid may be. discharged. Aerosol bombs. or containers. of the. character indicated are often maintained under an. internal pressure. of from 10 to 35 pounds, or more, per square inch at room. temperature. A serious problem has. been presented; in maintaining the unit in tightly sealed. condition. whenstored. or otherwise out of operation and in enabling the. unit to. be. simply and. efiectively operated. when it is. desired to. discharge a portion of thecontents in thefiorm of a fine. spray. An.- other serious problem has been. encountered. in preventing the leakage of gas, which is. above. the liquid level of the container, into the valve when the valve is open.

An important object of the present invention has been to provide a simple but reliable arrangement. for con.- trolling the discharge of a desired amount of the contents of an aerosol container at will and effectively seal.- ing the container against undesired loss of. its contents and pressure at all times. Toward this end, one aspect. I thev invention involves the provision of. an improved valve unit, which may be applied. to a container formed of metal or other suitable material, that, may be, easily operated to cause the discharge of a portion. of the contents in the form of a spray and will. effectively seal the container whenever the valve operating means is released. Furthermore, the valve unit is so constructed as to prevent escape from the container of gas above the liquid level.

A further object of the invention has been to provid a valve unit of the character indicated which is. simple. and inexpensive to construct and which is suitable for manufacture by mass production methods.

It. is desirable that an aerosol container t thev character indicated be. provided with means; to prevent. the accidental discharge of the contents during shipment. Such protective means is also preferably adaptableto prevent accidental discharge of the. container contents after the container has. been first used. as, for example, while being carried in a suitcase or the. like.

Accordingly, it is a further object of the.- invention to provide an aerosol container having protective means for 2,757,826 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 2-1 preventing the accidental discharge of thecontainercontents.

Other and further objects, features andadvantages of the invention will appear from the following-description.

In accordance with the invention, acontainer is provided with a valve-unit adapted to be seated in anopen ing'in thecontainer, the valveunit comprising; a movable plunger provided withaport communicating with the inside of thecontainer througha first discharge path and. communicating with theoutside of'the containerthrough a second discharge path and aresilient deformable washer adapted in aclosedposition thereof toseal the port thereby preventing communication between thedischarge'paths, thewasher being adapted in an opendeformed position thereof to permit communicationbetween the discharge paths and simultaneously to form a sealing contact oi the washer with the-plunger'below the'port' andremote from the. first discharge path thereby toprevent communication between the port and the contents of the container except-through; the" first dischargepath. In accordance withfurther features of' the invention, means are provided for maintaining the washer in a normally non-deformed condition'and f'or preventing accidental deformation of the washer due to careless or rough handlingof the container.

The inventionwill nowbe described in greater detail with reference to-theappended drawingswhereinz Fig; 1 is an elevational view of an aerosol dispenser. constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2'- isan enlarged sectional viewof the container neck and valve-unit ofFig. I, the valve unit being shown in cl'osedposition;

Fig. 3- is a view similar to Fig. 2* but with the valve unit shown in open positi'ong Fig; 4 is-an expl'oded'view ofthevalveunit and; cap;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 3-"; and- Fig; 6 is a detail viewof a; portionof the container neck and top; Referring now tothe drawings andmore particularly to Figs; 1 and 2; the containenillustrated comprises a reservoir or body portion 10', a cap 11 and a valve unit generallyd'esignated by the reference numeral} 12'.

The materialsselected for: the various parts of the dispenser may be chosen; to suit the particular application desired. The various; materials suggested hereinafter are intended solely for purposes of illustration and are not to be considered as limiting the invention. For example, the reservoir or body portion 10 may conveniently be formed of impact extruded aluminum, while the cap 11 might be formed of'polystyrene. If the liquid to be dispensed tends to react; with aluminum, another metal or other suitable material should be employed for the reservoir 1:0 or a suitable internal coating should; be provided thereon.

The reservoir 10 is provided with an outwardly extendingreduced diameter neck portion 13 adjacent one end thereof. It will be observed that the construction of the reservoir 10 and the neck- 13 is such as to facilitate formationthereof by impact extrusion processes. Within the neck portion 13 is mounted the valve unit 12 which comprises a plunger 14', a washer 15, a washer 16' and acollar 17. The neck 13 is provided with an. upwardly extending flange portion 18. The wallthickness ofthe lower portion 19 of the flange I8 is greater than that of the upper portion 20 thereof; thus providing an inwardly extending shoulder 21 The annular disc orwasher 16 is supported adjacent the periphery thereof on the shoulde-r 2-1. The disc 16, which may conveniently be formed of brass or the like, fits within the upper portion 20 and rests on the shoulder 21-. The top of the portion 20 is provided tabs 2.9 which are bent over inwardly 3 firmly to hold the washer 16 in place on the shoulder 21. A tab 20' is shown in Fig. 6 in its vertical position, it. e., before being bent over. The upper surface of the main portion of the neck 13 is formed as an inwardly extending shoulder 22 which is adapted to support the outer or stationary portion of the washer 15.

In the valve closed position of Fig. 2 the washer 15, which is preferably formed of Buna-N rubber or other similar resilient material, should completely fill the space bounded by the shoulder 22, the lower surface of the washer 16 and the inner surface of the portion 19, thus providing the desired sealing effect along these surfaces.

The plunger 14, which may conveniently be formed of nylon or the like, is generally cylindrical in shape and comprises an upper hollow portion 23, a lower hollow portion 24, a reduced diameter solid portion 2: separating the portions 23 and 24, and an outwardly extending solid flange portion 26 formed adjacent the solid portion 25. A draft tube 27, which may be formed of polyethylene or other suitable material, is aflixed to the lower portion 24 and extends into the reservoir to a suitable depth, preferably adjacent the bottom of the reservoir 10 as shown in Fig. 1. Outwardly extending projections or lugs 28 and 29 may be provided on the walls of the portion 24 to firmly retain the draft tube 27 in position thereon.

The cap 11 is formed with a central downwardly extending annular housing portion 30 adapted to encompass and firmly engage the portion 23 of the plunger 14 adjacent the upper end thereof. To assist the firm engagement of the housing 30 and the portion 23, a circular projection or lug 31 may be provided in the outer surface of the portion 23 and adapted to mate with a complementary recess provided in the inner surface of the housing 30.

The collar 17, which is preferably formed of Buna-N rubber or other suitable resilient material, encompasses the portion 23 between the lower end of the housing 30 and the upper surface of the disc or washer 16. The collar 17 and the portion 23 preferably have a sliding fit to permit relative motion therebetween.

The inner portion 32 of the upper surface of the flange 26 is adapted to support the adjacent bottom surface of the washer in the closed valve position shown in Fig. 2. The upward force exerted by the collar 17 on the housing 30, and hence on the plunger 14, is preferably suflicient to provide a pressure tight seal between the inner portion 32 of the upper surface of the flange 26 and the adjacent bottom surface of the washer 15. The outer portion 33 of the upper surface of the flange 26 is preferably spaced from the washer 15 to permit moist vapor from the reservoir 10 to contact the portion 33 of the washer 15 to prevent the same from drying out or stiffening over extended periods of idleness.

To permit easy sliding of the plunger 14 within the open neck of the container, a slight clearance between the outer surface of the flange 26 and the adjacent inner surface of the neck 13 is preferably provided. Upward movement of the plunger 14, under influence of the resilient collar 17, is limited by the hard washer 16, which is held in place between the shoulder 21 and the bent over tabs Downward movement of the plunger 14, which occurs when the cap 11 is forced downward against the action of the collar 17, is limited by an inwardly extending flange 34 of the neck 13. The flange 34 provides a shoulder 35 adapted to engage the lower surface of the flange 26 and thus limit the downward travel thereof.

The valve unit 12 is shown in its closed position in Fig. 2. It will be observed that fluid from the reservoir 10 will enter the draft tube 27 and fill the lower portion 24 of the plunger 14. However, the sealing action of the inner surface 36 of the resilient washer 15, which presses against the adjacent surface of the reduced diam eter portion 25, prevents the pressure within the reservoir 10 from forcing the fluid into the upper portion 23 of the plunger 14. Washer 15 also provides sealing action at the surface 32 of flange 26 and at the surface 22 of the neck 13 to prevent the pressure within the reservoir 10 from forcing fluid out of the container along these surfaces. Thus, with the valve unit 12 in the closed position thereof, the container is effectively sealed against leakage or loss of pressure.

When it is desired to discharge a portion of the contents of the container, the cap 11 is depressed by the user, causing the valve unit to assume a position as shown in Fig. 3. Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the collar 17 has been compressed, permitting downward movement of the plunger 14 under the force exerted on the cap 11 by the user. Fluid from the reservoir 10 may now be discharged from the container through the path indicated by the arrows in Figs. 3 and 5. The pressure within the reservoir 10 forces fluid up the draft tube 27 up the hollow portion 24 of the plunger 14. and through a hole or orifice 40A into a chamber 40 formed between the surface 36 of the washer 15, the adjacent outer surface of the reduced diameter portion 25 and the innermost portion of the surface 32 of the flange 26. The chamber 40 extends around the periphery of the portion 25, as best shown in Fig. 5. The solid portion 25 of plunger 14 is disposed diagonally as shown so that fluid may enter the chamber 40 adjacent the lower surface of the portion 25 but will be discharged therefrom through a hole orifice 4013 into the hollow portion 23 adjacent the upper surface of the portion 25. As shown at the right hand side of the portion 25 in Figs. 3 and 5, the hole 403 is provided in the wall of the plunger 14 to permit fluid to enter the hollow portion 23 from the chamber 40 at one side thereof. The holes 40A and 40B are formed by the conjunction of grooves 24A and 2313, respectively, provided in the inner walls of the portions 24 and 23, respectively, with the reduced diameter portion 25 of the plunger 14. These grooves may be relatively inexpensively formed during an extrusion process and do not require drilling. The hollow por tion 23 communicates at the upper end thereof with a chamber 41 provided in the upper wall of the cap 11. The chamber 41 communicates with the outside of the container through a passageway 42 provided in the upper wall of the cap 11. The outer portion of the passageway 42 may be formed as the hollow portion of a tube 42' to facilitate extrusion of the cap 11.

The chamber 40 is formed by deformation of the washer 15 when the cap 11 is depressed. For this purpose, the lower surface of the portion 25 adjacent one side thereof is tapered, as shown at 43, to contact the adjacent inner upper surface of the washer 15 and to carry the same downward. The bottom surface of the portion 23 is tapered as shown at 44 to engage the inner upper surface of the washer 1.5 at the other side thereof and to assist in carrying the same downward. Actually, the surfaces denominated 43 and 44 are a continuous surface formed on the plunger 14. The washer l5 seals the plunger 14 along the surfaces 43 and 44 to prevent leakage and loss of pressure along these surfaces.

The lower inner corner 45 of the washer 15 is urged firmly against the surface 32 of the flange 26 when the valve unit 12 is in the open position thereof, thus providing a seal at the outer edge of the chamber 40 and preventing gas which collects in the upper end of the reservoir 10 from entering the chamber 40 and escaping from the container. This gas enters the neck 13 on the outside of draft tube 27 and passes along the bottom and outer surfaces of the flange 26 into a chamber 46 formed beneath the washer 15. This gas and whatever fluid may be carried with it into the chamber 46 is prevented from entering the chamber 40 by engagement of the corner 45 and the surface 32. Engagement of washer 15 with shoulder 22 prevents loss of pressure along this shoulder.

An upward projection 47 may be provided on the shoulder 22 adjacent the inner edge and extending around the periphery thereof. The projection 47, which is prefregister with and encompass the lugs 5th anemone erably/ semicircular in cross section, facilitatesbendingt ofi the: washer 15 and: prevents. lateral: displacement thereoii. The washer 15 maybe considered as divided into: twoannular'portionsi. The outer portion: extends outwardly from the: projection 4Tand i'sistationary. Thezinner'portiom extends: inwardly from: the projection. 47 and is movable on deformable.- The outer or stationary port-ion provides sealing action along the shoulder-22" at all times. The inner or movable portion seals the discharge path when) the valve unit 12 isin its closed: position (Fig; 2'). When: the=valve unit 12' is in the open position thereof, (Fig. 3) the movable portion forms the chamber 4-!) and seats the'same except for the desired discharge-path about theportion 25-- and through the hole 403- into' the portion 23*.

Whilea container constructed in accordance with the inventionmay be: made any convenient size, it will generally be considerably smaller than shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Hence it: will be evident that a rel vtive'l y small inward displacement of the cap 1'1 will shift therval ve unit IiZ-into' the open position thereof". To protest the container against accid'cntal discharge while. in shipment or while being carried in a suitcase or the like, the can 1E and the upper surface of the reservoir t are constructed in such a way as to minimize the possibility of accidental discharge. For this purpose, two or more lugs or projections 59 may be provided on the upper surfaceofthe reservoir 10. These lugs are arranged to cooperate with the sides of thc caplid: to prevent depression of the cap and consequent opening of the valve unit To permit discharge of the container contents, the sides of the cap 54 are provided with slots 5-1 adapted to When the cap 1-1 isrotated so that the slots 5&- and the lugs 50 register, the cap 11 may be depressed to open the valve unit 12'. The depth of the slots 51 is preferably equal to or greater than the maximum travel of the plunger 14.

Bt should be understood that the terms inward and outward and similar expressions used inthe specification andcl'ai-ms herein have been used solely to indicate radi'al orlateral directions or locations. Similarly, the terms upward, downward, top and bottom and like expressions have been used solely to indicate relative longitudinal directions or location.

While the invention has been described in connection with aspecific embodiment thereof and in a specific use, itshou-ld be understood that'variou-s modifications thereof will occur tothose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, it will be readily apparent that the resilient collar 17' can be replaced with other resilient members such as a spring or diaphragm. As another alternative, the upward force on the plunger 14 could be provided by the gas pressure within the reservoir acting on the flange 26. It will also be apparent that the port and discharge path arrangement can be varied to meet varying needs.

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid dispenser, comprising a container having an opening in one end thereof, a valve unit having an open position and a closed position and being adapted to fit within and to seal said opening, and means for manually operating said valve unit from said closed position to said open position thereof to permit discharge of a portion of thecontents of said container, said valve unit comprising a movable member having ahollow section communieating with said container, at discharge path communicating with the hollow section of said movable member and with the outside of said dispenser, a resilient member having a stationary portion engaging said container adjacent said opening therein to seal the same and a movable portion which, in an unmoved position thereof, engages said movable member to close said discharge path and prevent communication between said hollow section and said discharge path, operation of said manual means causing saidzmovablezportion of saidresilient memher'to move;

of said resilient member being arranged; in: the moved,

position thereof, to contact said movable member betweensaid discharge path. and the inside of said container to seal. said discharge. path from. communication with: said, container except. through said hollowsection.

2. An: aerosol dispenser; comprising a container having an opening in one. end thereof; a. valve unit having an open position and a closed positionand being adapted to fit within and to seal said opening; and means for manually operating said valve unit from said closed position to said open position thereof to permit, discharge of a portion of the contents of said container; said valve unit comprising a movable plunger having a. first. hollow section communicating with said container, a. second hollow section communicating with the. outside: of saiddispenser and an intermediate section separating said hollow sections and having ports communicating; respectively, with said hollow sections, and a resilient member having a stationary portion engaging said container adjacent said opening therein to seal the same and a movable portion which, in the closed position of said valve unit, contacts said movable member adjacent said intermediate section to. thereby prevent communication between said hollow sections; operation of said manually operable means causing said movablc portion of said. resilient member to: move in a direction permitting communication between said hollow sections through a channel formed by sealing contact of the movable. portion of said resilient member with said plungerabove andv below said ports, said sealing Contact below said ports preventing communication between said second hollow section and said container except through said first hollow section.

3. A valve adapted to be. seated in an opening in a container, comprising a movable plunger provided with a first port communicating with the inside of said container and a second port communicating with the outside of said container and a resilient deformable washer having a face which in a substantially non-deformed position of said washer, seals said ports thereby preventing communication therebetween, said face of said washer, in a deformed position of said washer, forming a channel for communication between said ports by sealing contact of said face of said washer with said plunger above and below said ports.

4;. A valve unit adapted to. be seated in an opening in a container, comprising. a movable plunger provided with a first port communicating with'the inside of said container and a second port communicating with the outside of said container and a resilient annular washer having a stationary outer portion sealing said valve unit in the opening in said container and having a deformable .ina container, comprising a movable plunger provided with a first port communicating with the inside of said container and a second port communicating with the outside of said container, a resilient annular washer having a stationary outer portion sealing said valve unit in the opening .in said container and having a deformable inner portion which in a substantially non-deformed position thereof seals said ports thereby preventing communication thercbetween, the inner portion of said washer, in a deformed position thereof permitting communication between said ports through a channel -formed by sealing contact of said washer with said plunger above and below said ports, resilient means for normally retaining the inner portion of said washer in said substantially nondeformed position thereof, and manually operable means for causing said inner portion of said washer to assume said deformed position thereof thereby to permit discharge of a portion of the contents of said container.

6. A valve unit adapted to be seated in an opening in a container; comprising a movable plunger provided with a first port communicating with the inside of said container, a second port communicating with the out side of said container, a reduced diameter section interconnecting said ports, and a resilient deformable washer which, in a substantially non-deformed position thereof, engages said plunger adjacent said ports and seals said ports thereby preventing communication thcrebetween, said washer, in a deformed position thereof, forming a communicating channel between said ports by effecting a sealing contact of said washer with said plunger above and below said ports; and manually operable means for moving said plunger whereby said washer is caused to assume said deformed position thereof thereby to permit discharge of a portion of the contents of said container' 7. A container, comprising a valve unit adapted to be seated in an opening in the container, said valve unit comprising a movable plunger provided with a first port communicating with the inside of said container and a second port communicating with the outside of said container, and a resilient deformable washer adapted in a substantially non-deformed position thereof to seal said ports thereby preventing communication therebetween, said washer being adapted in a deformed position for communication between said ports through a channel formed by sealing contact of said washer with said plunger above and below said ports, a cap member mounted on said plunger and adapted for movement therewith whereby said washer is caused to assume said deformed position thereof for discharge of a portion of the contents of said container, and projecting means provided on the outer surface of said container adjacent said opening therein, said projecting means being arranged to cooperate with said cap member to prevent said movement of the latter, said cap member being provided with a recessed portion adapted to be manually registered with said projecting means to permit said movement of said cap member and said plunger.

8. A valve adapted to be seated in an opening in a container, comprising a movable plunger provided with a first port communicating with the inside of said container and a second port communicating with the outside of said container and a resilient deformable washer which in a closed position thereof seals said ports thereby preventing communication therebetween, said washer, in

an open deformed position thereof, effecting sealing contacts with said plunger above and below said ports to form a communication channel between said ports.

9. An aerosol dispenser; comprising a container having an opening in one end thereof; a valve unit having an open position and a closed position and being adapted to fit within and to seal said opening; means for manually operating said valve unit from said closed position to said open position thereof for discharge of a portion of the contents of said container; and resilient means tending to retain said valve unit normally in said closed position thereof; said valve unit comprising a movable plunger having a first hollow section communicating with said container, a second hollow section communicating with the outside of said dispenser, a reduced diameter section separating said hollow sections and having ports communicating, respectively, with said hollow sections and a radially extending flange section disposed below said ports, and a resilient member having a stationary portion adapted to engage said container adjacent said opening therein to seal the same and a movable portion adapted in the closed position of said valve unit to contact said reduced diameter section to thereby prevent communication between said hollow sections, operation of said manually operable means causing said movable portion of said resilient member to move in a direction permitting communication between sad hollow sections through a channel formed by sealing contact of the movable portion of said resilient member with said plunger above said ports and with said flange section below said ports, said sealing contact with said flange section preventing communication between said second hollow section and said container except through said first hollow section.

10. An aerosol dispenser, comprising a container having an opening in one end thereof; a valve unit having an open position and a closed position and being adapted to fit within and to seal said opening; said valve unit comprising a movable plunger having a first hollow sec tion communicating with said container, a second hollow section communicating with the outside of said dispenser and a reduced diameter section separating said hollow sections and having ports communicating, respectively, with said hollow sections, and a resilient member having a stationary portion adapted to engage said container adjacent said opening therein to seal the same and a movable portion adapted in the closed position of said valve unit to contact said movable member adjacent said reduced diameter section to thereby prevent communication between said hollow sections, means comprising a cap member mounted on said plunger for movement therewith for manually operating said valve unit from said closed position to said open position thereof for discharge of a portion of the contents of said container; operation of said manually operable means causing said movable portion of said resilient member to move in a direction permitting communication between said hollow sections through a channel formed by sealing contact of the movable portion of said resilient member with said plunger above and below said ports, said sealing contact below said ports preventing communication between said second hollow section and said container except through said first hollow section; projecting means provided on the outer surface of said container adjacent said opening therein, said projecting means being adapted to cooperate with said cap member to normally prevent operation of said manually operable means; said cap member being provided with slots adapted to be manually registered with said projecting means to permit operation of said manually operable means.

11. A fluid dispenser, comprising a container having an opening in one end thereof, a valve unit having an open position and a closed position and being adapted to fit within and to seal said opening, a cap member operatively connected to said valve unit for manual operation thereof, and a plurality of projecting elements provided on the outer surface of said container adjacent said opening therein, said projecting elements being adapted to engage said cap member in a normal position thereof to prevent manual operation of said valve unit, said cap member having a plurality of recesses therein and being adapted to be rotated to a second position in which said recesses register with said projecting elements for manual operation of said valve unit.

12. A valve adapted to be sealed in an opening in a container, comprising a movable hollow plunger mounted partially within said opening and having a reduced diameter portion, a solid portion separating said plunger into an upper hollow section communicating with the exterior of the container and a lower hollow section communicating with the interior of the container, a first port extending through said reduced diameter portion adjacent a lower surface of said solid portion and communicating with said lower hollow section, and a second port extendingthrough said reduced diameter portion adjacent an upper surface of said solid portion and communicating with said upper hollow section; a resilient deformable washer secured by an outer portion thereof to said container adjacent the opening therein and about said reduced diameter portion of said plunger and in frictional contact therewith, an inner portion of said washer having an unsupported surface thereof adjacent the container; resilient means to retain said plunger in a raised position within said openng and to retan sad washer in a normally undeforrned position, and manually, operable means to depress said plunger whereby said washer is deformed in the direction of said unsupported 10 surface into sealing contact with said plunger above and below said ports thereby forming a channel between said plunger and said washer for communication between said ports and for fluid discharge from the interior to 5 the exterior of said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Tuttle et a1. Dec. 4, 1951 2,667,991 Boyer Feb. 2. 1954 

